Photography Tips: Vasco da Gama Bridge, Lisbon

Long-exposure photography at the Vasco da Gama bridge is a chance for advanced photographers to really shine.

Here are the four elements of the perfect photograph of the Vasco da Gama bridge.

1. Line – A lot of photographs utilize the little stream shown below. What makes photos like Antonio Gaudencio‘s undeniably better than the rest is that the lines complement each other perfectly. The photograph contains three main lines – the stream, the bridge, and the reflection of the bridge, and the curve of the stream and the curve of the bridge both have a small curve towards the end that makes them almost mirror images.

This photo (photographer unknown) is taken from an entirely different perspective, but also makes use of complementary lines (notice the log and where the weeds break from the water).

2. Identity – This ties in with lines to an extent, but the bridge’s unique design should be evident in the photograph.

3. Reflection – The reflection of the lights on the bridge over the water is pure beauty. Photography should capture beauty. Emanuel P. A. Ribeiro‘s work is a stunning example.

4. Color – The great thing about long exposure photography is that you can go slide-happy on the hue meter and the photo will still look amazing. If you get a great shot, why not have one in every color? Also, you won’t have to worry about the color clashing with your Instagram theme!